Nothing is so like God as silence.
— Meister Eckhart
It is in deep solitude and silence that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brother and sister.
We live in a loud world and consistently seek God’s voice in the chaotic cacophony and tumult of modern civilization. I’m always surprised a bit when I don’t get a voicemail or text message from God in response to my questioning prayers and anxious or grateful thoughts. We’re surrounded by stories, those we want to hear, those we’re indifferent to, as well as those we want to avoid. They’re the stories on the news, in books, in the office gossip, in our sharing-filled conversations, overheard on the street over a cell phone or in the lyrics of a song, felt in the non-verbal communication of those in the waiting room with us. In all of those words – spoken and unspoken – it’s easy to lose sight of our own story and how it is connected and interdependent with the unfolding story of how God is moving in creation.
I find myself often looking for words, stories, music to accompany my days. Is it because the rhythms help my thinking like I imagine, or is it that I’m needing distraction, or don’t want to be fully present in what I’m doing…or do I really enjoy 80s music, hip-hop and talk radio as much as I tell myself? Last year during Lent I took a personal challenge to practice 5 minutes of silence a day. Being silent, not talking, no background noise, sitting still, being aware of my breathing as I learned in yoga, trying to silence my mind (notice the trying) of thoughts and inner commentary. I didn’t hear any revelations from God in a voice like Moses on the mountain, Elijah in the cave, or those that went in to the wilderness/desert to listen for God. But I did calm down a bit in my thinking, beginning to maybe be in more of a place where I could listen, realizing how hard of I time I actually do have listening to the world around me, to others, to myself, and for the voice of the divine.
You can try out some practices of silence during Lent, or for today. I’d suggest trying for 5 minutes to start. Be seated comfortably. Don’t cross your legs, or your arms…as they’ll fall asleep and distract you. Have your feet flat on the floor, sitting with good posture. Then close your eyes (it’s probably easier with less visual input from your surroundings). Be mindful of you breath, taking in long, deep, slow breaths. Don’t over exaggerate. The point is to be mindful and aware of your breathing, your inner rhythm, to notice it so that you can let it go. If you need to set a mellow timer to bring you out of the silence. Otherwise you’ll be like me, checking the clock to see if it’s time yet, then doing it again, then thinking about it. If you’re trying it for a couple of days, or weeks, maybe keep a journal – writing down what you heard. Providing some sort of trail of data of what you’ve experienced so that you can look back and reflect upon it.
Here are some helpful online sites I’ve found if you’re looking for some advice and tips.